You might think I'm biased about living in paradise, but it seems others feel the same way. Take a look at these amazing videos of the place that is home to so many of us. We live in 28 acres of bushland, and wake up to the call of kookaburras, magpies and whip birds, every … Continue reading Our Place in Paradise
Village Life
The Exciting World of Being Published!
We’ve done it! Our Mountain View Anthology is now live on Amazon for pre-order (Kindle version only at the moment - but print copy will be available soon). Last year Mary, Wendy and I asked residents to send us their stories for the inaugural volume of our anthology. And yes, we may have underestimated how … Continue reading The Exciting World of Being Published!
Hastings Point
June 2021 Despite the early morning start, and an early morning storm, a group of residents set off in the bus for Hastings Point last Tuesday. It seems that Hastings Point now has a Marine Discovery Centre. Now that on its own is good enough, but when they combine an awesome lunch with the deal … Continue reading Hastings Point
ANZAC Day 2021
The remnants of COVID-19 restrictions still linger here at Mountain View - and in the wider community. With the Anzac Day march cancelled again this year, Anzac Day 2021 was almost a replica of 2020. Neighbours gathered in driveways with lighted candles and remembered brave men and women who have served in wars past and … Continue reading ANZAC Day 2021
The Washing Is Still In The Machine!
I’m sitting on my verandah listening to the sounds of life around me, while the washing is still in the machine waiting to be pegged on the line. I can’t tear myself away from the absolute bliss of living in Mountain View. There is the sound of water soaking the garden below me as Joan … Continue reading The Washing Is Still In The Machine!
It’s Time To Share The Love!
After a bit of a dry spell (thanks, COVID-19 - Not!) we’ve hit the road running in 2021. The new Social Committee is up and running and things are looking up. We are all set to Share The Love! The new team boasts a couple of well-known residents who have had years of experience in … Continue reading It’s Time To Share The Love!
And That Was The Year That Was!
As 2020 starts its descent over the horizon, we look back and think ‘What the ‘beep’ just happened?’. Wasn’t it only yesterday I was wishing everyone a Happy New Year, saying that 2020 was going to be the best year ever?! Well, we all know how that ended. Or did it? This year changed a … Continue reading And That Was The Year That Was!
Christmas Market At Mountain View
With the success of the recent Plant Market, Coral and Christine followed up with a Christmas Market at Mountain View. Things were a bit ‘Frosty’ during set-up, but Jerry, Neila and Coral sorted it out. With Frosty’s help they set up the tables and moved bucket-loads of plants in, ready to sell. Our crew are … Continue reading Christmas Market At Mountain View
Self-Management is Complicated
My feet had barely hit the ground at Mountain View when the Annual General Meeting was called. I was too busy settling in to care about the politics of the place, but the agenda included a motion to terminate the Strata Manager. Self-management is complicated in a large scheme, so I wondered if that would … Continue reading Self-Management is Complicated
Massive Bolt Of Lightning
Where were you when that massive bolt of lightning hit the village yesterday? Wait a minute, wasn’t yesterday Halloween? Was it Nature’s attempt at Trick or Treat? If Halloween is about scaring the daylights out of people, then yes, I guess Nature won. There was absolutely no time between that one massive bolt of lightning … Continue reading Massive Bolt Of Lightning
Another Amazing Village Garden Market
The amazing team of Coral and Christine, with the help of a heap of fantastic volunteers, put together another successful Village Garden Market yesterday. Garden enthusiasts and hungry residents stayed dry while they ambled through the tables full of plants and baked goods. The girls did a great job as acting Bookies, selling tickets in … Continue reading Another Amazing Village Garden Market
She Calls Me A Bitch At Least Once A Week
I was caught off guard when I asked Coral what makes the team of ‘Coral and Christine’ so strong. She looked at me and said, “She calls me a bitch at least once a week”. I wasn’t expecting that response, but the more I delved into the reasons for their longstanding working relationship, the more … Continue reading She Calls Me A Bitch At Least Once A Week
Why Wayne Bennett’s Book Made Millions of Dollars!
Wayne Bennett, former coach of the Brisbane Broncos, published a book in 2002 called ‘Don’t Die With the Music In You’. Apparently nobody was more surprised than Bennett when the book became an outstanding success and grossed more than a million dollars in sales in the first eight months. Bennett didn’t write his book for … Continue reading Why Wayne Bennett’s Book Made Millions of Dollars!
Snail Mail
Or - how we used to communicate before email... I don’t know about you, but I wrote a lot of letters when I was young. We lived in a reasonably remote part of the world and most of my extended family lived in the city. So snail mail, as we now call it, was the … Continue reading Snail Mail
How to Build a Website
If you Google ‘how to build a website’, you’ll find a lot of information, and courses, both online and face-to-face. The cost ranges from free to very expensive. I didn’t Google ‘how to build a website’ - and I didn’t race off to my nearest college to learn how. I just did it! And if … Continue reading How to Build a Website
Mountain View Facebook Group
Wendy and I have started a closed FB Group for all residents and staff at Mountain View. Just search Facebook for Mountain View Murwillumbah, and you’ll find us. You have to apply to become a member and answer three simple questions - then an Administrator will approve your request - depending on your answers... You’ll … Continue reading Mountain View Facebook Group
Looking at Life in the Rear-View Mirror
Most of us up here on the hill have been around the block a couple of times (or more!). Some have lived our lives on the edge while others have taken a more conservative, back-seat position. But regardless of what course our lives took, looking at life in the rear-view mirror certainly puts a different … Continue reading Looking at Life in the Rear-View Mirror
Wrap Your Laughing Gear Around This!
Wrap your laughing gear around this, and let’s dissect this whole ‘ageing and happiness’ business. “You don’t stop laughing when you grow old; you grow old when you stop laughing”George Bernard Shaw Wrap your laughing gear around this... image from Pixabay Who Wants To Grow Old Before Their Time!? Retiring from a long, stressful career … Continue reading Wrap Your Laughing Gear Around This!
Tenterfield Trip – Part One
Synchronised alarm clocks started ringing around the village bright and early on Tuesday morning. It was the day for the Tenterfield trip - the bus was leaving at 8.00am - and fifteen of us planned to be on it. Weeks of planning and anticipation were about to come crashing in on each one of us. … Continue reading Tenterfield Trip – Part One
Is there Harmony in the Village?
How does a family of more than two-hundred members live harmoniously in close proximity? Stick around and I’ll talk you through the harmony in the village I live in. Like any family of more than two members (should that be, more than one member?), there are bound to be problems. Is that how it is … Continue reading Is there Harmony in the Village?